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Visitor Comments: 18

(18)
Fiegy,
May 21, 2009 4:08 PM

TV - Indirect Damage

I think the main point of why TV is so terrible was strongly missed by some of u. TV is a Danger - Zone that u gotta be overly strong to overcome and use correctly. Since most of us today are NOT capable of keeping only to that, it is therefore considered such a negetive item. Its like using Elmer's glue to keep a bear away from attacking us. Generally, most of us I would believe would admit to be to weak to always ONLY stick to the real PURE stuff, besides, that in most shows, there ought to be something not appropiate fall in between the lines, which even indirectly ends up having negetive results. Best of luck and try keeping your honesty level high!!

(17)
Tamar,
April 27, 2009 6:30 PM

Horrible!

That was HORRIBLE!!! I beileve that TV is not the best for you if it is too much, however there are some times that TV is actually good. I have found many metaphors from TV that have helped me relate to Judaism and Hashem. I think it is horrible that that is there slogan and comercial though proving a Jewish point.

(16)
Michael Metrick,
February 22, 2009 11:17 AM

There's good and bad in everything.

Every generation complains about the next one, from music to the arts, and that includes TV. Sure these alot of garbage, but there's also some great stuff too. With cable and satellite, there are more choices than those 6 or 7 channels we had back in the day. I don't watch nearly as much TV as I used to, but I still find time to watch some very fine entertainment. We as adults have choices to make, and as responsible parents we must instill a sense of values in our children so they have the tools to make wise choices for themselves.
Mushy brains? Not really, but do we have to watch serious documentaries about global warming or Shakespeare every day? If there is balance, we will be ok.

(15)
Simon,
February 18, 2009 8:37 AM

What we see everyday is T.V. sift what you see and thank God for eyes.

I am at work all day, evenings are occupied with meetings or games, towards later l need to be with my kids , l also need to watch news also read some print outs l carried home from work. Before sleep l want to chew some biblical message to massage my Spirit into the dream land. T.V.? l believe prioritize the shows, those that add some knowledge or build one, otherwise T.V. is a thieve of productive time just like any other of the new technologies.

(14)
Devorah,
February 17, 2009 2:45 PM

Reply to Mona and Jordan

I am also plenty captivated by some of the well-done dramas and documentaries that can be found on TV, and even some of the old-fashioned comedies. However, let's face it. The state of TV today, and the direction it's taking, is rapidly downhill, and I don't want anybody I know, leastways my own family, to be dragged under its wheels! As a metaphor: If you knew that in a big heap of rubbish there were a few diamonds hidden, you might take the time out of your life to sift through the trash and make yourself a litle richer. If you knew that hidden in a heap of TOXIC WASTE there were a few beautiful photos of the Seven Wonders of the World, photos that would be gorgeous on your livingroom wall - but that if you never owned them you'd live just fine, and you could always find them somewhere else that was safer, would you allow yourself or anyone else to risk their lives to find those photos?!?! See, to me, all that great stuff you can occasionally find on TV is NOT WORTH the exposure to the TOXIC WASTE FOR THE MIND, and especially to the minds of impressionable children. All this "great stuff" can be found in safer sources, and truthfully, as in the metaphor, you can live your whole life just fine without ever having seen or heard plenty of it.

(13)
Anonymous,
February 17, 2009 1:31 PM

wow way to go

Not only are majority americans brains mush but this commercial proves it by openly expressing how drone like people have become to sell there product! Any other country would be thoroughly disturbed by this derogatory commercial.

(12)
Kelly Woo,
February 17, 2009 1:28 PM

Yes, TV rots the brain

TV is addictive, and teenagers do not have the maturity to understand why turning it off might sometimes be a good idea. TV normalizes violent and overly sexual behavior. Also, biting sarcasm has become the norm in TV conversations. Do I want sarcasm to become my daughter's primary mode of speaking? NO!! TV is a waste of time which could be more wisely spent doing almost anything else.

(11)
Devorah,
February 17, 2009 11:27 AM

YUP!!!

It's sad to note that while Mr. Baldwin speaks the truth, and the visuals make it plain as day how true it all is, people will watch this ad and be oblivious to the point, and run out to get the Hulu, hollering, "Yeah!! Bring it on."

(10)
Mona,
February 17, 2009 11:06 AM

monam@cox.net

I'm always amazed at the judgment against TV. Since man has been around, story telling and myth making has been part of after dinner activities. The fact that we don't have itinerant story tellers wandering the countryside to amuse and delight villagers, doesn't mean that people are not still interested in hearing stories. TV is a NEUTRAL device. How you use it gives it value. There are amazing documentaries on it, excellent literary stories on it, learning opportunities, sheer entertainment and amusement, and also, absolutely, garbage. Just because there are drug dealers and pimps doesn't mean all of humanity is worthless, don't associate with those people but instead seek out mentors and teachers and wise people. Just because fast food and soda pop is utterly unhealthy doesn't mean we shouldn't eat at all. Eat healthy food! Same with TV. Choose your programs and how much time you spend with TV. Learn where the OFF button is. I would never give up my TV, why should I? It fits into my life very neatly, without being an addiction, or "gelatinizing" my brain. It is just something there in the living room to be used properly, like so many other choices I make and I am in control of, in life.

(9)
Jordan,
February 17, 2009 10:21 AM

Mostly Agreed, There Are Exceptions

I mostly agree that television turns people minds into mush. There are some exceptions though which unfortunately are quite rare because of the choice of television shows enjoyed by the masses. While most people enjoy thoughtless banter such as Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends, there is in fact quality programming such as documentaries, interviews with academics, and there are in fact a few shows that provide a funny social commentary on our crazy world (Arrested Development is a particular favourite)...Some people are visual learners and a book or newspaper will not always suffice...But in general, I don't think it would be wrong to generalize that the majority of television is mindless

(8)
Adam,
February 17, 2009 9:22 AM

At least he's honest

Give 'em that much: points for honesty, if nothing else.
To quote former FCC Chairman Newton Minow: "When television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland."
Minow said this in 1961, he didn't know the half of it.

(7)
Mitchell,
February 16, 2009 5:18 PM

Love Hulu

I luv Hulu - I can watch all my favorite shows when I can't get them on TV.

(6)
berakah,
February 16, 2009 10:13 AM

dumped the tv

We got rid of our tvs over 2 years ago. We actually can say we don't miss them-people are amazed when they find that out and mostly ask, "What do you do with your time?" So many books, so little time. :)

(5)
Sarah Rut,
February 15, 2009 11:19 PM

It does more then that

Yes it does, more then that it puts false ideas of life into our brains. I also this it's interesting the Hulu was so open about it and got publicity out of it.

(4)
Moshe Rosen,
February 15, 2009 9:22 PM

watching a screen, either TV or computer

I tend to think that watching a screen, either TV, computer, or otherwise has the potential for inactivity and laziness bringing upon artificial stimulation. If only such screens didn't distract us from either enjoying a book or going outside to enjoy the peaceful outdoors.

(3)
Zissi,
February 15, 2009 6:35 PM

TV does turn minds into mush

I see it with my nieces and nephews-they watch TV and they are hypnotized by it. I refuse to let that happen to my two-year-old son. To quote Roald Dahl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: "The mind becomes a fairyland. One doesn't think, only sees."

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!